KrazieShadowNinja: Wow! You really want to know what happens don't you? Well…I'm feeling nice so…here's a chapter.

Zenna: Oh, Murtagh will be in it. I'm going off the book so he has to be in it. He is a good character. Oh and…very interesting way to express yourself to my other story. Vague…very vague. Thanks for reviewing. Hope you like this chapter.

Rittzi: No! You can't not continue! I love your story…please? I'll give you a cookie! (Looks at Ritz hopefully, batting eyelashes) Well…(sigh)…if you don't, you still have to review my story. I know you said you would but I must have confirmation. As I always say, a lost reviewer means a lost friend…ok so maybe I don't say that but it's true! Enjoy!

OneWhoWalksWithPigeons: I am so happy that you like my story. I always get all cheerful when I get reviews!

Meira Evenstar: Here's your update! I'm so glad you liked it. It was real nice!

Jousting Elf with a Sabre: Dude! Here's your update! Lol.

figi-mermaid: I like it. You don't mind if I use it do you? I'm so glad you read it again. I'm also very pleased at the praise. It comes highly from you. Thanks again and I hope this is a good chapter and…would you like to be my beta? I have one for my pokemon but I think you'd be good for Eragon. Will you?

orangeraisins: Thanks for the review! Here's the update. I can't tell you the order my chapters come. I post them randomly but if I stop for a while, reviews usually bring me back to speed.

A/N: I have just seen the cover of Eldest. It's a red dragon! That means in the second book, another hatches! Does anybody want to take a wild guess at whose dragon it is? I vote that it's Roran's dragon. In fact, I think that Eragon and Roran are going to fight! I also believe that Murtagh is going to die in the last battle before the end…or maybe from Galbatorix. I like Murtagh but…that's what I think.

Chapter 8: You Care for Me?

"Jierda!" Eragon barked, raising the hand with his gedwey ignasia. Beams of light lanced from it, hitting each of the Urgals squarely in the chest. He spun around and waved at Marie weakly. "Go! Go! Run!"

Marie yanked Snowfire around and willed him to run with her mind. Snowfire bolted, throwing his head wildly. As Marie grasped her arms around the white stallion's neck, she twisted around to look behind her.

Eragon had fallen off Saphira and the dragon was doing its best to fight away the remaining Urgals with her tail and claws.

Marie couldn't take it. As pain lanced up her arm, she swung Snowfire around and heeled him towards Saphira. She reached out to Oropher.

Where are you? She called. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye she saw an Urgal sneaking up by Saphira.

"Saphira! Look out!" Marie yelled. The Urgal reacted before Saphira could do anything. It instead spun around and threw a punch at Marie as she came in with Snowfire.

"Whoa!" she screamed as she bent low. The fist passed over and flew back. Snowfire gave a sharp whinny and reared. Marie felt herself sliding.

Snowfire gave a buck and with a thud, Marie was off. The Urgal raised his fist again and whacked down. Marie rolled swiftly on the floor, her eyes widening in terror as the fist landed two inches by her face.

Another presence tapped into Marie's mind as she ran out of the way from another blow of the Urgal.

Oropher? Marie asked worriedly. Where was he?

Marie almost let herself get hit as she was taken by surprise from a female voice. Get on!

Who is this? Saphira? Marie asked. Suddenly, a punch from the Urgal came her way and Marie was too slow to react.

Marie was hurtled a few yards away, only uttering small groans in the pain she was feeling. Intense lurches traveled up her legs, stomach and chest and finished by adding more pain to her almost unbearable wrist.

Get up Marie! Saphira called.

Weakly, Marie lifted herself up and began to limp towards Saphira. Her vision became blurry and confused but she could still make out the giant blue body in front of her.

She felt around and grabbed onto Saphira's tail. She reached out to the giant dragon. Where's Oropher?

He glided down and landed with Brom when the old one looked around to see where you were. Hurry! Saphira's grunts were loud as she thwacked her tail at the three remaining Urgals.

Marie picked up her pace, her body throbbing in unnoticed and unwanted pain. She just had to get up there.

Marie shut her eyes as she sat in the saddle and wrapped her arms around Saphira's neck.

Loud flapping could be heard beside her and Marie began to wish she could be awake to witness her first flight. Suddenly, Marie remembered Snowfire, probably panicking and cantering aimlessly. With her last ounce of strength, Marie willed the white stallion to go to Brom.

Darkness swelled around Marie as new thoughts of worry pushed into her. Where was Brom? Was Eragon with him? Was Eragon alive…was…Eragon…

Marie shot up, opening her eyes to feel them stinging. It was just the sun…

Marie realized that she was in a clearing. Her stomach and chest were pounding with pain and her wrist was so overwhelmed with it that it was numb.

A white lump was sitting next to her. It was Oropher. Marie quickly scooped him up into her arms, ignoring the throbs of protest she got from her body.

A stirring body a few feet away from her made her look that way. Eragon was rising with a groan. He opened his eyes and turned to her. "Hey."

"Hi…" she mumbled. She tried to sit up but pain lanced through her again.

"Where is everybody?" asked Eragon as he stood. He stumbled forward and fell to his knees.

"I don't know…I feel horrible," Marie groaned, her head spinning wildly. Oropher touched her mind with sympathy and comfort. Marie gave him a weak smile and then forced herself up. She stumbled forward and like Eragon, fell to her knees.

Pain lurched through her body, causing her breathing to go heavy. Just then both of them realized the heavy splints that had been placed on their wrists.

"The horses aren't here…" Eragon mumbled. He tried to contact Saphira but got nothing. Without her, half of his mind felt like an empty space.

"Maybe Brom took them for a ride…" Marie suggested. Eragon looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Marie flushed at her own stupidity. "Yea…just saying…"

He gave her a grim smile before trying to get to his feet. He groaned as he managed to stand.

"What happened back there?" Eragon asked. He looked at her as she grimaced when another jet of pain shot throughout her body. His face flashed with eternal sympathy. "I remember an Urgal coming up behind Saphira and then he turned away and attacked something. What was it?"

Marie gave him a weak smile and then raised her hand before going breathless again as she took a step.

"You!" he demanded. Eragon took a step towards her with halfway open arms, looking like he wanted to hold her and shake her at the same time. He immediately started speaking fast, pacing at the same speed and ignoring the pain.

"How could you do that? That was crazy! Thank you…you saved Saphira-maybe me! Never do that again! You could get hurt! You could be killed-"

"Are my ears deceiving me?" interrupted Marie staring at him with a sly smile. He stopped and looked at her in mid walk. His face was pulled tight in concern and anger and his eyes were reflecting that. "Is the brave, powerful, almighty Eragon worried…about me?"

Eragon looked stunned for a moment and then went on the defense. "What? Of course…I'm just worried because you're-did I say worried? I meant concerned! I'm concerned because you're the third Rider!"

Marie's smile stayed as Eragon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. A weird sound made them both look down. Oropher was wearing a dog-like grin and was making an almost chuckling kind of noise.

Eragon turned a deep shade of red once he too realized what Oropher was doing.

Marie felt a light brush against her mind as Oropher talked to her. I think you're enjoying the interrogation as much as he doesn't.

Marie turned a deep shade of red as well. Why you little-

The laughing continued as both of them turned away. There was when Marie noticed the stew over the fire.

"Eragon…let's eat," she said quietly. He turned around and saw it as well.

The three companions spent the rest of the morning finishing their meal and resting. Soon afternoon came and their strength grew enough to do some light sparring with their left hands. After that, Marie and Eragon practiced with magic and Eragon began to teach her how to build barriers around her mind.

To do that, he had to try and get in to it. Marie chose to imagine a huge wave of thick water that would spurt and slash out at an attacker. It was hard to protect and attack her mind…but Eragon didn't do much…his weapon was a 'sharp' feather.

He really didn't want to invade her mind. Anytime he got close he felt her feelings…reluctance…doubt…burning misery…a bit happiness…and then…Oropher would break in and push him out. Marie would stay quiet for about a half an hour afterwards.

The afternoon weared on. Eragon walked over to a large boulder with a bowel shaped puddle in it and began to scry, using the words of the ancient language, draumr kopa.

While he was doing this, Marie was beginning to marvel at Oropher's beauty. His scales were still their beautiful white color, his crystals were just as majestic and his gorgeous golden eyes were just like Eragon's brown ones- intent and pretty.

They touched minds and Marie began to chat. Oropher was now speaking properly after doing a great deal of listening most of the time.

So, what do you think is in store for us? He asked curling up in her lap after flying around the perimeter of the campsite.

Marie sighed and leaning back against a pine. I don't know…maybe we'll join the Varden. That'd be cool…but then we'd have to hide everywhere…I want to see the world…not hide from it.

Yes…I can't wait till I've grown big enough so we can see the world. That would be very nice. Oropher replied. Marie looked down and realized just how much he had grown. He had only his front half laid across her lap, while the other half was limp beside her. His tail stretched beyond him while his long wings lay tightly across his back as not to cause his Rider any discomfort.

You're already the size of a big dog. In fact…I think dragons have dog in them. Marie chuckled to herself.

At the comment, Oropher rose and walked away, stretching his wings (which were 6 feet across now) and flexing his crystal claws in the ground.

Dragons should not be compared to animals so foul as those…snacks! Oropher snarled to her and Marie shivered, feeling his distaste and anger. She grumbled at his comment, being very fond of dogs and sent him pictures of a little puppy in a basket she had seen. His reply was unwanted as his snake like tongue slithered out as he licked his chops, showing rows of canine, glistening teeth.

Marie chuckled and then sighed holding her knees close with throbbing arms. She shut her eyes, not wanting to feel her slight yet lingering pain. She thought about her parents…her mother, a beautiful woman with the same black hair that Marie had, her father, a handsome, young man, that could sometimes be too foolish for his own good. Like becoming a merchant…

Do not linger in past memories. Your parents were good people but their time has come…don't let yourself be washed away by their haunting. Oropher's voice had broken, sounding solemn and even a tad sorrowful.

How would you know if they were good or not? Marie asked remembering her father's occasional drinking. It never got bad but still…isn't drinking a bad sin?

I visited your memories while your mind was weak during Eragon's testing. I tried to visit his as well…but he has put up a nice barrier that is too strong to me to break while I'm so young. Oropher said breathing in and then giving a sigh, which kind of came out as a snort.

Wow…he is the almighty Eragon. Marie said with sarcasm.

He is to you. Oropher replied with a 'dragony' chuckle.

Hush you! I might get you a muzzle to make sure nothing slips out of that wide mouth of yours! Marie snapped and having the last laugh, she shut off her mind.

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